Convertible hat



March 29, 1966 LlrsH 3,242,501

CONVERTIBLE HAT Filed April 21, 1965 F|G.7 FIG.6

INVENTOR' Henry Lish ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,242,501 CONVERTIBLE HAT Henry Lish, Brookline, Mass., assignor to Yearonnder Hats, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 449,785 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-196) The present invention relates to a hat and more particularly to a hat adapted to be worn as a dome on top of the head as well as a helmet down over the head.

Hat styles can be numbered in the thousands. A number of them, however, can be included in two general groups. One of these groups can be loosely called the dome group which is characterized by being worn on top of the head with the lower edge of the hat being at, or somewhat above or below, ear level. Some styles in this group are the toque, the bubble, the bearskin, the shake, and the pill box. The other general group can be loosely referred to as the helmet group and would include the bonnet, the hood, the baby cap, the night cap, and the ear warmer. In contrast to the dome group, the helmet group is worn down over the head with the lower edge of the hat lying below the jawline and often extending under the chin.

Both the dome group and the helmet group are currently popular, particularly with high-pile materials.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a convertible hat which can be worn alternatively as a dome type or as a helmet type.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a convertible hat which can be manufactured from a variety of hat materials.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a back view of the hat of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the hat of the present invention when worn as a bearskin in the dome group;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the hat in FIG. 3 when worn as a helmet;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the hat When worn as in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the pattern piece for making the crown of one embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the pattern piece for making the side member of one embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a front view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention in which the body portion is formed of a single piece of material; and

FIG. 10 is a back view of the hat of FIG. 9 in closed position.

Referring now to the drawing, the hat comprises a body portion 10 with an outer perimeter 12 of a size generally equal to the circumference of a head. Secured along the inside of the perimeter 12 is a band 14 which maintains the size and shape of the perimeter so that it may fit closely about the head as shown in FIG. 3. Forming the band 14 of a somewhat elastic material is particularly effective in achieving a head-hugging fit.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 the body portion is made of a circular crown and an arcuate side member. The pattern pieces for both these parts are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively. The side member has two long sides 16 and 17 opposite each other which are concentric arcs. The first long side 16 is slightly longer than the second side 17. The long sides 16 and 17 are joined together by two short straight sides 18 which converge from the ends of the first long side 16 toward the ends of the second long side 17. The second long side 17 becomes the inner edge and has a length substantially equal to the circumference of the crown to which it is adapted for attachment. The first long side 16 of the side member, then, becomes the outer perimeter 12 of the hat and is, therefore, of a size generally equal to the circumference of a head.

The body portion 16 of the hat has an opening 20 in the back which is defined by two side edges 22 and 24. The opening 20 starts from a point 26 on the outer perimeter 12 and extends toward the center of the body portion 10, between one-half and the whole distance toward that center. Extending the opening 20 to the point of juncture between the crown and the side member has been found to be most satisfactory. Fastening means are provided to close the opening 20. The fastening means may be a zipper 28 as illustrated in the drawing, or may be of other types like hooks and eyes. It is particularly contemplated that the hat be made of a high-pile material such as synthetic or real fur which is currently very popular. The pile also acts to conceal the zipper 28.

Slight modifications in the shape of the body portion of the hat can give a variety of sought-after effects. In closed position, the hat can look like the famous English bearskin of FIG. 3, or the bubble of FIG. 8. In open position, the hat can be drawn down over the head to become a helmet-type hat. In this instance the side edges 22 and 24 of the opening 20 will lie under the jawline as shown in FIG. 5. A pair of tie-tapes 30, or the like, may be provided to secure the hat under the chin.

While the hat has been illustrated as made of a furlike material the convertible feature described herein can also be incorporated in hats of any of the usual materials, such as felt, velvet, and suede. In addition, the hat may have a lining or not, as desired.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show another embodiment of the invention in which the body portion is formed of a single, circular piece of material, the outer perimeter 32 of which is a size generally equal to the circumference of a head. As in the previous embodiment, there is an opening 34 starting from a point on the outer perimeter 32 which extends inward toward the center of the body portion. Fastening means are similarly provided to close the said opening. In closed position this embodiment assumes a conical appearance (FIG. 10).

It may be seen, then, that the present invention provides a convertible hat which is adapted to be worn in two completely different ways. In one state, the hat is generally of the dome type and in another state, the hat is generally of the helmet type. Different effects can be achieved by slight modifications of the body portion or the selection of materials used.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

A convertible hat comprising a body portion of high pile material having a lower portion having upper and lower arcuate edges joined by converging straight sides, the upper edge of said lower portion being longer than the lower edge, a circular crown, said crown being secured to the upper edge of said lower portion providing a closed end and an open end, said open end providing an outer perimeter of a length adapted to encircle a wearers forehead at the hairline thereof and the sides and chin of the wearer, an elastic band secured around the entire inside surface of said body portion adjacent said outer perimeter, a closable opening comprising side edges starting from said outer perimeter and extending vertically and inwardly generally the full length of the body portion, fastening means, said fastening means comprising a continuous closure for joining said side edges together, tie tapes at the juncture of said closable opening and said outer perimeter whereby when said closable opening is in open position said hat may be worn as a helmet with said side edges adapted to be generally at the jawline of the wearer and when said opening is in closed position said hat may be worn on top of the head with said high pile material covering said fastening means and said outer perimeter adapted to encircle only the top of the head of the wearer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 250,262 11/1881 Koch 2195 1,019,019 3/1912 Bruder 2-196 1,146,829 7/1915 Winget 2-68 X 1,369,971 3/1921 Goodrick 2195 X 1,571,107 1/1926 Capelle et al. 2-197 2,647,264 8/1953 Hutton 2198 X FOREIGN PATENTS 339,544 4/ 1904 France.

2,179 2/ 1905 Great Britain. 3,826 2/ 1901 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

